Motor hanger for mechanical musical instruments



Feb. 8, 1927. 1,617,279

H. E. TQWER MOTOR HANGER FOR MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Feb. 4, 1926 WITNESSES: I/Vt/ENTOR.

Patented Feb. 8, 19 27.

r ce.

HERSCl-IEL E. TOWER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BALDWIN COMPANY, .OF CINCINNATI, OHIO. V

MOTOR HANGER FOR MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed February 4., 192%. Serial No, 85,956,

This invention relates to improvements in motor hangers, particularly adapted foruse in pneumatically operated musical instruments for which the power is furnished by an electric motor for the operation of the pneumatic pump that creates the vacuum for the player action.

The obj ect of this invention is to minimize the noises due to electrical and mechanical vibration of the motor before the vibration reaches any part of the piano structure where it would be amplified. A further object is to make a hanger that is simple to construct and durable and that also has a means for taking up the slack of the belt, thereby maintaining a better grip and more power.

A further object of this invention is to have the motor mounted in such a manner as to be self alining with the, pulley of the pump, thereby causing minimum wear of the belt.

F ig. 1 is a front view of the lower part of a piano showing the pneumatic pump and the electric motor suspended by the resilient hangers. Fig. 2 is an end view of the electric motor and hanger, showing how the hangers are made in the shape of a loop to give rigidity to overcome the sidewise pull of the belt.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the electric motor 1 is mounted on two pieces of wood 2 and 3 which are held suspended from the keybed 4 by the hangers 5 and 6, which hangers are fastened, to the keybed by the blocks 7 and 8. The blocks 2, 3, 7 and 8 have the holes for the hangers made large enough to be hushed with rubber or any other sound deadening material.

The pneumatic pump 9 is driven by the electric motor 1 through a beltlO. To keep the belt 10 tight for a good grip on the pulleys so that the motor will transmit sufiicient power, a spring 11 is fastened to the hangers 5 and 6 andto a spring support 12 on the bottom board 13 which tends to pull the motor away from'the pump 9.

The hangers 5 and 6 are made with a curve so as to have the effect of a spring when the motor is mounted on them. By having these hangers curved and mounted to swing freely, the vibrations are lost before they reach the keybed. The hangers are preferably made in the shape of a yoke, from one piece ofmaterial and joined togetherv at the bottom' 5;; by a collar with set screws. By having these hangersmade in one piece there is no tendcncy for the motor to be pulled sidewise by the belt, as would be the case if they were made of four separate pieces. 0U

The motor 1 is screwed to the blocks 2" and 3 with an insulation of sound deadening material between them. The holes in the blocks 2 and 3 are made of sufficient size to permit the blocks to slide easily on the hangers 5 and ,6. By having the blocks 2 and 3 mounted freely on the hangers the motor will work forward or rearward until the pulley of the electricmoto-r 14 is in perfect alinement with the pulley 15 of the pneumatic pump 9. With these pulleys always in alinement there willbe nosidewise pull of the belt.

Then the current is turned on to operate the motor, the'motor swings back and forth enough to make up for any defects in the pulleys or belt and any vibrations that start throughthe frame of the motor'arc gradually eliminated by the springing of the hangers 5 and 6 so there is no vibration left where the hangers are. Connected to, the blocks 7 and 8. T

lVhat I claim as my invention is;

An electric motor with a pulley for driving the pulley on a. pneumatic pump, and two 9 5 loopshaped curved spring hangers for supporting said motor; the radius of curvature of the said hangers being parallel to the plane of rotation of the pulleys on said motou and pneumatic pump.

HERSCHEL E. 'rownn. 

